The Economics of Early Childhood

Investing in Infants and Toddlers: The Economics of
Early Childhood

Given the current slowdown of our nation’s economy, much attention is being paid to the challenges faced by families grappling with the rising cost of food, transportation, and other basic necessities. While policymakers and economists are working to understand and improve these immediate economic challenges, some are also turning their focus to an economic stimulus of a different sort investment in young children and their families. Economic researchers who study issues of human capital (education and skills) are increasingly coming to the conclusion that early childhood professionals have known all along: investing in high-quality early childhood programs reaps considerable societal savings and numerous individual and social benefits.

New research on early childhood investments provides opportunities for early childhood professionals and economists to work together to support greater investments in programs for infants, toddlers and their families. Click here to learn more about current economic research, its application within the field of child development, and ways in which early childhood professionals and economists can partner with one another to inform the public policy process.